


The Gift

by LesbianCalamity



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Grief/Mourning, Life After True Love, Sad Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-24
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2018-12-21 06:24:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11938185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LesbianCalamity/pseuds/LesbianCalamity
Summary: Set before the Final Battle. Regina confront Emma about a letter she set and things take an unexpected turn from there.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Gift [Fanart]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11823069) by [redfield5x5](https://archiveofourown.org/users/redfield5x5/pseuds/redfield5x5). 



> This is going to be very, very sad. Please don't hate me.

_Dear Regina,_

_I don't know where to begin with this. So I guess I'll just start at the beginning. It seems like a good place to start._

_When I first met you—_

_You don't want to know what I thought. It wasn't kind. I remember that. I wasn't kind. But I get it now. I just didn't see you. Not the real you. I didn't know you as the Evil Queen. However, I knew you were Henry's real mother. And to be honest, you scared me. You were everything I couldn't be. You raised Henry because I couldn't. In spite of knowing what kind of future he could have because I lived it, I gave him up and hoped for the best. And when I met you— Every time I looked at you, you were a reminder of my weakness and my failure._

_And did I mention you were absolutely scary?_

_Anyway, I'm sorry for how I acted in the beginning. I never wanted to replace you. And Henry wasn't mine to take back. I gave him up. I asked for a closed adoption. I didn't want him to know. I wasn't prepared for him to find him. And I didn't handle it well. I want you to know that. He calls us both mom. But I just gave birth to him. You, Regina... you raised him._

_We never talked about it. About how I acted. And you never asked for an apology. I guess, it's because you thought you_ _deserved it somehow. And Regina — no one deserves what I did to you. I was terrified. Everyone was telling me you were evil. You told me you were evil. And I was wholly out of my element. I didn't expect to raise a child. I was afraid of doing something I would regret. And I did it anyway. I hurt you._

_I never apologized for that either. I don't know why. Maybe I was too proud. Maybe I was too scared. Because seriously, Madam Mayor you are intimidating. And as tough as I think I am, there are times when even I cringe at the thought of going against you. Or maybe I just didn't want to give you a chance to reject my apology out of some misplaced sense of guilt that you somehow had this coming. Because you didn't. You don't._

_Yes, you cast a curse. Yes, you would have killed baby me. Yes, you once did unspeakable things. But from the moment you took Henry into your heart, you've done nothing but what you thought you had to in order to protect him. And since he's my son, I know that he didn't always make it easy. And I know how stubborn he is. Though, you'd probably say he was dogged not stubborn. But I've met Henry. He's unreasonably persistent. Especially, when he thinks he's right. But you raised him by yourself. And Evil Queen or not, you raised a good kid. Someone I'm proud to call my son. Our son._

_I never thanked you though. For raising him. For making up for my poor choices. I don't regret the decision of giving him up. I know for a fact despite those false memories, I wouldn't have been nearly as good of a mom as you. It just wouldn't have happened. And I never thanked you._

_So..._

_Thank you. Thank you, Regina. Thank you for everything. Thank you for being there for Henry in a way I could never be. Thank you for raising him. Thank you for being his mother. Thank you for allowing me to be there for him. I wasn't perfect. But you gave me a gift and you didn't ask for anything in return. And for that, there are no words to describe how grateful I am. Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for not killing me over the years. I know I didn't make it easy. But you pulled through and you accepted me, allowed me to take up space in your world. And no one had ever done that for me be before. But you did. And yeah... Thank you, Regina. For the bottom of my heart, thank you._

_I know I have no right to ask but I need a favor. Just one more thing from you. And I'm hoping you'll be able to do it._

_I know what I have to do tomorrow. And I know that people aren't going to understand. I'm not asking you to make them. They'll come to terms with it or they won't. All I'm asking is that you take care of them. You're a hero, Regina. I know you don't see it but you are. You're more of a hero than I could have ever been. And you have it in you to be this town's savior. You just have to believe in yourself like Henry and I do._

_The rest will come in time._

_By the time you read this, everything will be set in motion. And there will be no turning back. So don't try to stop me. Don't try to talk me out of it. You once said that we make our own fate, but sometimes... we can't escape who we are and what we're meant to do. You weren't meant to be the Evil Queen, but I was always meant to be the Savior. So please, Regina, do this one thing for me, don't fight me on this. Just let it happen. And one day explain to Henry why I did what I did. Because he won't understand. No one will. Not my parents. Not Killian. No one will get it, except for maybe you._

_And just remember one thing:_

_You deserve happiness, Regina. You deserve all the happiness in the world. I only wish I could be there to see it._

_— Emma_


	2. Chapter 2

There was a banging on her door that night. Heavy handed and furious. It would have been enough to wake her up. If she was sleeping; if she _could_ sleep. But sleep just like peace, eluded her that night. Emma turned over, her hand gliding over the empty space where her husband usually slept. She left him on his ship, however, sleeping a death like sleep. He'd wake up to a note. Perhaps not as long as the one that she wrote to Regina. But he deserved one too.

Killian wouldn't understand, however. And Emma knew that. He'd try to stop her. To make her fight. But there was no fighting this. No getting around it. There was no other way. And if she stayed, Killian would make her stay, he'd make her try to look for another solution and that might doom them all.

Emma couldn't live with that on her conscious. She was supposed to bring back the Happy Endings. All of them. That was her duty. It was her destiny as the Savior. There was just one thing left to do.

Hopefully, she was strong enough to let it happen.

The Savior padded barefoot downstairs, dressed in a white tank top and red boy shorts, shivering as the house was drafty at night when she made it to the front door.

“Ms. Swan!”

Emma cringed at the sound of that voice. It wasn't a pleasant tone. Regina was pissed. But underneath that, Emma could hear something in her voice; Fear.

“Goddammit, Emma! Open this door or so fucking help me-”

Emma almost laughed. She wondered if Regina would huff and puff and blow her house down if she didn't open the door. Well, briefly until she realized that Regina didn't knock things to the ground, she set things on fire.

So of course she opened the door.

“Regina?” the Savior asked. “What is it?”

The former Queen moved passed her, stomping into her home like she owned it. “What the hell is this?”

Emma's gaze fell the the letter in Regina's hand. “Um...”

“If you're sarcastic about this...”

Emma held up her hands in surrender. “Whoa. Whoa, Regina. I haven't even opened my mouth yet.”

Regina stared daggers at her. “Well...”

“It's a letter, Regina. I wrote a few.”

“I know, I read two of them.”

Of course she read Henry's letter too. Emma should have known that would have happened. They had known each other for almost 5 years. She should have realized Regina would have opened Henry's letter after reading hers.

“Regina, it's just a letter.”

The Mayor scoffed. “It reads like a damn suicide note, Emma. What are you playing at? What is this?”

“I'm not playing at anything, Regina,” Emma insisted. “I swear. I just–”

“You just what?” Regina asked. “Emma, are you planning on dying tomorrow?”

The Savior shrugged. “I wasn't planning on it. I guess.”

“Then what the hell is this?!”

“Sometimes you can't fight fate, Regina.”

Regina groaned in frustration, running her hand through her thick black hair. She glanced at Emma, and the Savior could see it; the weariness in her gaze. Regina looked as exhausted as Emma felt. It was the expression of someone that had been fighting a lifelong war. She was battle weary, and scarred though her skin was unblemished. Save for a scar on her upper lip that Emma sometimes couldn't help but focus on. Not just because she wanted to know the story behind it, but because when Regina was in a room with her, Emma had a hard time taking her eyes off of the former Queen. The way she moved, the way she spoke, everything about her drew the Savior in, held her attention and didn't let it go. Not for five whole years. Not since that first chance meeting that night in October.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” was Regina's question.

Emma sighed and rubbed her face, laughing nervously, though it wasn't a joyous sound. It was a defeated one. Weakened. She felt resigned to her destiny.

“It means,” the Savior began. “It means that I can't fight this. I'm supposed to die tomorrow, Regina. It's the only way to stop this.”

“I don't accept that,” the Mayor said, with a shake of her head. “I won't accept that.”

“You have to,” Emma replied.

“No,” Regina told her. “No, I don't. After everything... Emma, there has to be another way.”

“There isn't,” Emma said, with another heavy sigh. “There isn't any other way. We've tried everything. The Black Fairy won't stop until I'm dead. And I've seen it. I've seen it every night in a thousand different ways. I die every time.”

“No.”

Emma put her hands on Regina's shoulders and made her look at her. “There isn't another way, Regina. Tomorrow I'm going to die. And if I can make it means something... If I can still do my job...”

Regina shook her head violently at the notion. “No. Not after everything we've been through. I can't... Henry...”

“I will always be there for Henry,” Emma reassured Regina, or tried to. It was hard, because she looked so... broken.

“Not if you die,” Regina replied, her eyes watering. “Henry can't lose you.”

“If I don't do this,” Emma explained. “If I don't do this, he'll lose everyone. And I can't have that happen when it's in my power to stop it.”

Regina broke away from her, swatting at Emma's hands until she was free of her. “No. I won't accept that.”

“Regina...”

“No, Emma. Let me talk. Five years ago you came to town. And there was only two options. Either you were Henry's mother, or I was,” Regina said. “But you, Emma... you fought me. You made me hate you. But I'm so glad you did. Because you found a third option. Where we are both his mother. And you can't come here... You can't make me... Emma, I can't...”

“You can't what?”

“I can't lose you.”

“You mean, because of Henry.”

“No, you idiot, I can't lose you because of me.”

Emma stepped back, reeling from what Regina just confessed. But she still didn’t understand. What was Regina getting at? She couldn’t lose her? Why? Emma wasn’t even sure they were friends most days. The Savior considered Regina family, an ally, someone that Emma could always count on. But this was different. It sounded different.

“Regina?”

SLAP!

Emma’s whole cheek stung from the force of the blow. It turned her head, and reddened her face with Regina’s handprint.

“What the actual fuck, Regina?”

“How dare you, Ms. Swan?!” the Mayor raged. “How dare you give up. How dare you come here and make me… How fucking dare you!”

“Regina…”

SLAP!

The former Queen hit her again. Harder this time. Emma’s mouth filled with the taste of copper. Her lip was busted. But before she could recover, Regina smacked her again. And again. Over and over as she repeated the same thing. “You can’t. You can’t just make me care for you and then leave. How dare you!”

“Regina…” Emma pleaded, trying to grab her hands. “Regina, just listen to me.”

The Mayor pushed her away. “No! I’m done listening to you. You’re going to get yourself killed and for what? To be the Savior? Henry doesn’t need a Savior. He needs his mother.”

“He has you,” Emma reasoned.

“He needs us both!”

That nearly broke Emma. Hearing the desperation in Regina’s voice. It would haunt Emma for the rest of her life. However short that life might be. She was meeting her destiny tomorrow. But that wasn’t nearly as disheartening as the anguish in Regina’s eyes.

“He has you,” Emma said. “And I will always be there in some way. Henry won’t understand it. Not at first. But dammit, Regina if there was another way, I would have tried it already. This is the only way.”

SLAP!

This one didn’t hurt like the others; it didn’t have the same bite. Maybe Regina was getting tired. Or maybe she was beginning to understand. There was no fighting this. Not that she didn't try. Emma would always admire that about her; Regina never quit. She never gave up. Even when her chips were down; it just made her fight harder. Emma didn't have that. She always took the path of least resistance. She always went with the flow. She was a ship without a rudder. If the wind blew northerly, she went north. That was the way it was. She wasn't used to fighting. Emma struggled. But she never fought for anything.

Until she met Henry.

He had changed everything for Emma. He turned her whole world upside down. And he brought a little light to the ever encroaching darkness. And of course he brought her to this town. He put her on her path and held her hand when the road got rough. And of course, without Henry, Emma would have found her family. Not just Snow and Charming, but Ruby, Granny, Belle, August... He brought her to Regina.

Regina who was currently raising her hand to slap Emma once more. This time the Savior was ready, catching Regina by the wrist.

“Let me go!”

“Are you going to keep hitting me?” Emma asked.

“Are you going to get yourself killed tomorrow?” Regina fired back.

The Savior shrugged. “Not on purpose.”

Regina wretched her hand free and poked Emma square in her chest. “No, you don't get to be glib about this.” She pushed her. “You don't get to brush this off.” Emma took a step back but Regina followed her. “You don't get to unilaterally make this kind of decision. You didn't even talk to me about it, Emma!”

“Because you would have tried to talk me out of it,” Emma reasoned. “I can't let that happen.”

“And that's why you cowardly hid by a piece of paper marred with your chicken scratch?”

“Hey! It was legible...” Ok... That might have sounded better in her head.

“NOT THE POINT!” Regina roared.

“Then what is the point, Regina?!” Emma fired back.

They were standing almost nose to nose. Five years and Emma still didn't know who was taller. Her or Regina. They were just about the same height, though there were days that Emma thought she was taller. Not that that was important, it's just something she always noticed. Standing this close to Regina wasn't like it was with Killian. Emma could avoid eye contact if she wanted and he wouldn't notice. But Emma couldn't look away from Regina's gaze without tipping the former Queen off.

The air was warm around them. Like that day under the apple tree. Or the first time Emma saved Henry. Or the warmth she felt when Regina gave their son up to protect him. She watched Regina's eyes flicker to her lips and then back up to search her expression. For what, Emma didn't know. But it was that same look she gave her right before fireballs started flying.

And then the impossible happened. One moment they were standing so unbelievably close. The next, Emma's eyes were wide with shock, amazement, and surprise when Regina almost yanked her head right off and kissed her, shoving Emma's mouth onto hers so hard it should have hurt. It didn't take long for Emma to acclimate and fall into the kiss like she was a man drowning and this was only way she'd ever get salvation. Emma swallowed the heat that was building between them. That spark she felt that first night when they first shared a glass of scotch in Regina's study had finally ignited into a full blown wildfire. It wasn't a controlled burn either. Nothing about this was measured or careful or cautious. It was untamed and reckless but pure. And Emma understood right then why they hadn't done this before.

Because this fire... it would burn them both.

“Regina...” Emma tried to pull away but the Mayor kept her close, her grip tightening; one hand clasped the back of Emma's neck, the other holding her by her tank top. “We shouldn't...”

“Don't tell me to go...” Regina breathed, her lips barely touching the Savior's. 

Emma swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. “But I'm married...”

“I know.”

“And Killian...”

“Isn't here...”

“But...”

“Whatever it is, Emma, I don't care,” Regina whispered. “I just need this.” Her lips brushed Emma's. “I just need you. Don't tell me to go. Please.”

Emma could count on one hand, with a few fingers left over the number of times she had ever heard Regina Mills say please. And it never sounded... well it was never... Look, if she wasn't having a hard time shutting this down before, she was now.

“Regina...”

“Please...” There was that fucking word again. “Please don't tell me to go.”

Emma was in trouble. She loved Killian. She fucking married Killian. He was her true love. Her soulmate. And yet... there was something that always had her back here with Regina, to this little part in her head where fantasies like this were able to stay safely contained so something – well like this wouldn't happen.

And she had been so good too. Not once did she think about straying in any real way. Not after Robin left with who they thought was Marian. Not on that long car ride to Boston and then New York to find Lily and Robin respectively. Not when she went dark and killed Killian. And not even after Robin died. There was just no going there. Regina had lost two loves. Emma had hers back. And then were was the issue of Henry. Her and Regina needed to keep their interactions clean and orderly. And this was the opposite.

If they took the red pill and saw how deep the rabbit hole went... there was only one way this was going to end: terribly. And the one person who stood the most to lose was their son, Henry.

They couldn't do this to him. And Emma couldn't do this Regina.

“Oh, no you don't...” Regina said as if she was reading Emma's mind. “Don't you dare go all noble on me now, Swan. Not when I know we both want this.”

Regina kissed her, softly, teasingly. Never giving Emma that fire she felt from the first kiss, always leaving the Savior chasing after of her and Emma groaned, low in her throat. Then the former Queen just chuckled. That silky laugh that sounded like pure sex and made Emma shiver as it rolled along her skin.

“See,” Regina offered smugly. “I know you, Emma.”

“Oh yeah?” Emma asked. “Well, I know you too, Regina.”

The Mayor arched an eyebrow. “Oh? You do? Then tell me... what do I want right now, _Em-ma_?”

The Savior looked up wordlessly praying to a higher power she wasn't sure existed. There was a place for people like this. At least that's what the Good Book said, didn't it? Emma wasn't much of a church goer so the details were a bit fuzzy. However she was pretty sure adultery was on the big list of ten things you should never ever do.

“Emma?”

The Savior sighed. “I'm going to the special hell.”


	3. Chapter 3

“This is crazy. We’re being crazy. This is crazy, right?”

Emma was seemingly out of breath, her chest heaving, pupils big and lust blown, sea green eyes unfocused. She was shaking, a subtle tremor vibrating her whole body, like she was cold. But her skin was so warm to the touch, almost like she was burning from the inside out. Maybe it was nerves, maybe it was the fact that she was terrified. Perhaps this was because there was still a possibility that this was all just a dream. Some delusion her mind had created to help herself cope with what was coming.

“You’re bringing this up now?” Regina asked, cupping the Savior’s face as she studied her expression, wondering if she looked as lost in this torrent of passion.

“I’m just…” Emma floundered. “I don’t know… Is this real? Are you real?”

Regina laughed, her dark eyes lighting up at Emma’s words. It took them so long just to get here because they both got in the way of themselves. Fear — Fear was a great motivator. Regina knew that better than most what fear could do to a person. She thought that her ability to inspire fear made her strong because it made others feel weak. But standing here with Emma’s arms around her waist, Regina knew better. Love was the source of their strength. But it was the fear of rejection and loss that prevented them from coming to terms with their feelings for each other.

Fear had weakened them both. And love was cure.

“I’m real,” Regina replied, taking Emma’s hand and placing it over her heart. “My feelings for you are real. And no, we are not crazy. This isn’t crazy. This is everything I’ve ever wanted.”

Emma’s eyes shined and the uncertainty faded from her being, smiling that goofy smile that reminded Regina of the son that they shared. What Regina had feared was what made their bond so strong. Henry had been their bridge, and their love for each other had only made them an unstoppable force.

“It’s all that I ever wanted too, Regina,” Emma confessed and before the former Queen could ask, she answered that unspoken question. “I’m not going to downplay my feelings for Killian. I wouldn’t have married him if I didn’t love him. I wouldn’t have gone to hell. I wouldn’t have made him a dark one if my feelings for him weren’t real. But Regina… it’s possible to love someone and know that you’re not meant to be with them. Killian and I — we bring out the worst of each other. You — you don’t make me into a better person. But you do make me want to be a better person. I’m sorry it took me so long to tell you that. Killian is my kryptonite. You’re whatever makes Superman so strong.”

Regina’s lips quirked into a soft grin. “That would be Earth’s yellow sun, dear.”

Emma laughed. “I knew you were a closeted nerd, Regina.”

“You already knew that,” Regina said.

And Emma nodded. “Everyone knows that. You’re the only person I know that plays like she doesn’t.”

“I have a reputation, dear. The Evil Queen isn’t supposed to be—”

“A huge fucking dork?”

“I believe they call people like me nerds, Sheriff,” Regina corrected. “You’re the dork.”

“Guilty,” Emma admitted as her lips brushed the former Queen’s. “Are you sure you still want this, Madam Mayor?”

“More than I’ve wanted anything,” Regina replied. “More than I’ve wanted anything in a very, very long time, _Em-ma_.”

She felt the Savior tremble at her words. “No fair you using the voice against me your Majesty.”

Regina chuckled. “I’m just talking, Sheriff. What it does to you, I have no control over.”

Emma smirked. “But you’re enjoying it.”

“Perhaps… A little.”

“Lair.”

Their lips met in a passionate exchange. It was like everything that happened in the last five years had led them to this moment. Every fight, every veiled threat, every time they put their lives on the line to the save the other, every choice, all roads lead them here, to where they were now.

Regina felt warm, like the living embodiment of fire, like flame made flesh. And Emma revelled in kissing her, holding her, making her moan against her lips. She had always wondered what the Queen would sound like, always imagined in her head as something that would make her blood boil in her veins. But nothing could have prepared her for it in real time. She could have gone on and on about how sexy Regina was. But all of that was physical. And that wasn’t why Emma was drawn to her. It was her laugh, it was her sense of humor, it was the way she cared, it was the way she put everyone before her. That’s why she was drawn to her. Anyone could look sexy in a pencil skirt and red lipstick. But she was the most attracted to Regina when the former Queen dropped her mask and exposed herself without fear. That’s when Emma wanted her the most.

Like now.

They broke apart, breathing heavy, their gaze fixed on the other one’s kiss swollen lips. Neither could believe this was happening and neither wanted it to end. But Emma was unsure where to take it; if she should take it further than this. However, Regina knew exactly what she wanted and where.

“Take me upstairs, Emma,” she whispered, her arms linking around Emma’s neck. “Please.” And when the Savior looked for a sign of certainty, Regina continued. “I want this, Emma. I need this. I need you.”

That was all the Sheriff needed to hear because they were kissing again, their hands exploring the other person’s body in a lust-crazed haze.

Regina pulled Emma’s tank top up on over her head as Emma tried to unbutton her blouse. The tank top fell to the floor unceremoniously and the Savior returned to her task opening the Mayor’s shirt so she could finally run her hands over Regina’s bare skin.

“Oh my god,” Emma breathed.

“Upstairs,” Regina ordered. “Now, sheriff.”

The Savior didn’t need to be told twice and and she lifted Regina into her arms, encouraging the former Queen to wrap her legs around her as she worked her way up those stairs. From the top of the steps was a trail of clothes. Regina’s silk blouse. Black dress slacks. And finally two sets of bras and panties; one red, the other black lead from the top of the stairs to just outside the master bedroom.

Emma came aware of herself when she was pushed against the wall, Regina’s lips crashing into hers, as a her hand teasing her nipples.

“Holy fucking shit,” the Savior cursed, trying to keep herself from crying out. She thought that Regina was going to literally love her death because it felt like she might have an heart attack at the former Queen's insistent touch.

“Eloquent as always, dear,” Regina chuckled, kissing along Emma’s jawline, sucking at the pulse point on her neck, her hand trailing down the Savior’s toned body.

“Fuck,” Emma moaned. “Fuck… Goddammit... Please....”

The former Queen smiled, cupping the Savior’s center with her hand, revelling in the reaction she inspired. But she found Emma slick, and warm, and wet to the touch, and Regina bit back a moan, her own arousal coursing through her.

“Please, Regina,” Emma whimpered. “Please.”

The former Queen couldn’t resist the plea. Emma was so ready for her. But as much as she wanted the Savior here and now, not even bothering to make it the rest of the way inside Emma’s bedroom, her first touch was tentative and unsure. She felt Emma rock into her touch, desperate for more contact, moaning her name as she moved against her hand. It was everything that Regina had dreamed — quite literally on some nights. The night they first met. When Regina tried to get her to leave. Just after she took a chainsaw to her beloved apple tree. To name a few. And the Mayor would think about how Emma would feel under her touch. How the Sheriff would moan and beg and whimper. She would imagine what Emma would feel around her fingers. How she looked when her face was flushed and pink as she came for her.

Her fingers slowly circled the tiny bundle of nerves at the apex of the Savior’s sex, feeling it harden under her fingertips. Emma’s hands where in her hair, pulling Regina against her body. They kissed just as slow and sensual as the Mayor’s touch was. But as soon as their lips met, Regina was ravenous for her and everything spiraled from there. As their kiss deepened, the former Queen doubled her efforts, working Emma into a frenzy before she finally spoke.

“Emma, look at me,” she said, whispering against the Savior’s lips. “Look at me, please.” And when she complied, the Mayor slipping a single digit inside Emma, inching her way into her slick heat. “Oh, god. You feel amazing.”

Emma didn’t respond, after far gone, lost; Regina’s touch, stealing her speech. All she could do was roll her hips against the former Queen's touch, moaning to encourage her to keep going. And it worked, Regina pulled out and slipped two fingers inside of her. Emma cried out as she kept moving, kept moaning.

“So good,” she whimpered. “Please don’t stop.”

Regina couldn’t even if she wanted to. Which she did not. Not when they had finally gotten here. To this place. Later they could explore each other. Later, Regina could take her time. But right now. All she wanted was to make Emma come, to push her over the edge. And hopefully, the savior would say her name as she did.

She drove in and out of her with reckless abandon as best as the angle would allow her. She could feel Emma clenching around her fingers, growing so wet, so impossibly warm under her touch. Regina bit her lip and concentrated on the sounds that fell from her lips.

“Close…” Emma moaned. “So close.”

That was all the warning Regina had before the Savior’s body snapped taut and she announced her climax, calling out Regina’s name. The former Queen guided her through the peak until she slumped against her.

“Wow…” Emma breathed. “That was… wow…”

Regina chuckled as she slowly withdrew her fingers, wet with Emma’s arousal.

“I agree,” the Mayor replied.

And Emma picked her head up from Regina’s shoulder, meeting her gaze with a lazy grin. “We missed the bed.”

“There’s always next time, dear.”

The Savior’s smile brighten and her eyes darkened once more. “There’s going to be a next time?”

That made Regina smirk. “We’re not done with our first time, Emma.”

“Oh…” The Savior pulled her body against her. “You’re right. Now it’s my turn. How about it, your Majesty? Can I take you to bed?”

“Please.”

* * *

Emma watched her sleep as the sun rose. Regina looked so peaceful when she slept. Like she didn’t live with the weight of her darkness on her shoulders. Emma wished things could have been different. She wished that she had had the courage to have said something about how she felt earlier. She wished that she hadn’t had some great destiny. She wished that Regina hadn’t been her parents’ mortal enemy. If things had been different, they could have just been two regular people that found love and solace and acceptance in each other.

“I’m sorry, Regina,” Emma whispered in the early hours of dawn after she wrote one final note and left it on the nightstand near her bed. “Please don’t hate me for this and just remember that I love you.”

Emma kissed her temple and then headed for the door, looking back at her sleeping form one last time. She understood why it had to be this way. Why she hadn’t told Regina the true depth of her feelings.

Emma Swan was meant to save the day and bring back the happy endings while never being able to keep one for herself. She was meant to slay the dragon and break the curse, but she would never get the queen in the end.


	4. Chapter 4

The sunlight caressed her face like the welcomed touch of a gentle lover. It slowly stirred her from a particularly good dream where she was finally happy. Her hand brushed the space next her, finding it empty but still warm. The fatigue from last night left her as quickly as she sat up and called for the savior but found herself in a bedroom that wasn't hers. Alone. Emma wasn't here. She wasn't anywhere in the house. Without looking, Regina just knew.

She still scoured the house, searching high and low for Emma, and coming up empty handed. Not even a note. She hadn't even said good bye.

“Emma…” Regina breathed. “You idiot.”

With a flourish, Regina was engulfed in purple smoke and she was dressed, heading for the front door. When she opened it her heart sank with disappointment.

“Hook.”

The Pirate looked how she felt, exhausted, worried, and absolutely drained of all hope. Regina ignored that pang of guilt. Now was not the time for that. Right now the woman they both loved was missing and getting ready to do something exceedingly stupid.

“Your Majesty…” Killian said. “Is she…?”

“Not here,” Regina replied. “I checked.”

“Do you…?”

Regina shook her head. “I don't know where she is. But I'm going to find her.”

“I'll go with you,” he offered.

But the Queen declined, swiftly. “No. We can cover more ground if we split up.”

Killian nodded. “Aye. You're right. Tell me if you find her. I'm afraid… she said some things… Regina, I can't…”

“I know. I'll find her,” the former Queen vowed as she moved passed him.

“Regina,” the pirate called after her. And when she turned to meet his watery eyes he continued. “She's all I have. She means everything to me.”

“She's your True Love,” Regina agreed.

“It's more than that. We weren't destined to be. We had to fight for what we have. And after everything…” a tears rolled down his cheek. “It can't end. Not like this.”

“It won't.”

“Don't make a promise you can't keep, your Majesty.”

“This isn't a promise, Killian. I will find your wife.”

* * *

 

“Emma!”

Nothing had worked so far.

“Emma!”

And Regina had tried everything. A locator spell? It didn't work. Neither did Regina's mirror. Since when did Emma learn how to cloak herself? Regina even called Snow but she hadn't seen her daughter neither had David. And she wouldn't call Henry. Because she didn't want to have him worry. Especially if the worst were to happen.

Regina just needed to find her before sunset. That's when the Black Fairy would make her move. That's when the final battle would happen.

“Goddamnit, Emma! Where the hell are you?!”

“Regina?”

The former Queen’s head turned toward the sound of her voice. And she found her on top of the hill, leaning against the well. She was smoking a cigarette, something that Regina never saw the mother of her son do. Her lip twitched; her own addiction to the cancer sticks scratching at the back of her mind.

“I haven't smoked one of these in five years,” Emma said, as Regina approached her. “I guess it's true what they say. A smoker is always a smoker when the chips are down.”

She offered the half smoked cigarette to Regina who accepted it begrudgingly with a heavy sigh. “You stole that from that truly god awful movie.”

Emma nodded. “The one you wouldn't let Henry watch.”

Regina scoffed. “You mean the one you let him watch anyway.”

“Hey now, madam mayor, all I did was buy him the comic books,” the Savior confessed. “His father showed him the movie.”

“They're called graphic novels, dear,” the former Queen replied. “And I won't speak ill of the dead.”

“Since when?”

“Since the woman I love said she was going to die.”

Emma took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Regina, if there was another way…”

“And because you can't find a solution, you're just going to quit? You're just going to give up?” Regina asked albeit combatively.

“I'm not giving up,” Emma insisted. “I'm doing what Saviors are suppose to do.”

“Not all Saviors.”

Emma shrugged. “Just about. That's the duty of all Saviors. They give up all of themselves, until there's nothing left.”

“So be selfish, then.”

“When I'm selfish, people die.”

“That's not true,” Regina tried to argue.

But Emma already had something for that. “Because I couldn't lose Killian, made him a dark one and nearly got everyone I care about killed.”

“But-”

The Savior shook her head. “When I went to hell to get him back, Robin was erased from existence.”

“Yes, but that wasn't-”

“Because I couldn't face my destiny, I made a wish. And that almost got you hurt.”

“Emma…”

“No, Regina. I've made up my mind. This has to happen. There's no other way. I have to do this.”

That set the Mayor off. It wasn't her tone, though that left a lot to be desired. But it was the way she spoke as if it was final. Like she had exhausted all avenues and that was it. Well, that was an absolute that Regina wouldn't and couldn't accept.

“Are you going to hit me again?” Emma asked.

Regina studied her as she smoked. “I'm thinking about it. I haven't made up my mind yet.”

“Please, don't. It's not how I wanted this to end,” Emma pleaded.

“How did you want this to end?” Regina asked.

“I wanted to die in bed surrounded by fat grandchildren,” Emma replied. Then she shrugged. “But I guess that isn't in the cards this time around. Savior and all. Destiny and dying a hero.” When Regina huffed, Emma amended her statement. “Honestly, I don't know, Regina. I am in love with you. I am in love with Killian, too. I never thought I'd be in love with anyone, let alone two people at the same time. But here I am. I never thought I'd get married either. But that happened too. So Emma Swan, meet an impossible choice. Impossible choice, I'm Emma Swan. Hey.”

“I wouldn't have been the other woman, Emma,” Regina said, rolling her eyes, as she took Emma's cigarette from her.

“I wouldn't have asked you to, Regina.” She reached for her hand and held it tight. “I just want you to be happy.”

Regina squeezed her hand. “You make me happy.”

Emma laughed. “I make you crazy.”

The former Queen chuckled bringing the cancer stick to her lips and taking a drag. “You most certainly do that as well. But Emma… I don't know when it happened, or how, but there came a moment in my life where your happiness was as important to me as Henry's.”

“Is that why you never made a move?”

Regina passed the cigarette back to Emma as she exhaled small smoke. “I didn't make a move because you were the offspring of my mortal enemy. I wanted to punish your mother. If she had a massive coronary that would have defeated the purpose.”

“So, you never thought about it?”

“I think what we did last night answered that question.”

Emma's cheeks flushed and she laughed again. “Yeah… about what happened last night…”

“I won't tell your husband.”

The savior shook her head. “Thank you but that's not what I was going to say.”

“Oh?”

“Last night… I don't regret it. Only that it happen after…”

“You married the pirate?” Regina offered.

Emma nodded. “Yeah. If only I had a time machine, you know. It might have played out differently.”

That made the Mayor smile. Though, she knew that it would have been the same. True love wasn't something one could stop or work around.

Sort of like fate.

“Yes,” Regina agreed. “If only.”

“You'd have let me pursue you?” the Savior asked.

Regina thought about it for a moment. She wanted to say yes. But she knew how she was. Regina wouldn't have trusted it. “Emma, I'm not an easy person to love.”

“That's not true,” the Sheriff said. “Loving you is the easiest thing I have ever done.” She moved so they were facing each other and continued. “You think you don't deserve happiness but you do. If fucking Gold gets a true love and another chance at not cocking up his family, then you Regina definitely deserve to have a lasting happy ending. Even if I can't be a part of it. It's what you deserve.”

Regina's eyes watered. She cupped Emma's face and the Savior turned her head to kiss the Mayor’s open palm.

“It shouldn't end like this…” Regina whispered.

“No, but it has to. I wish I could stay. I wish I could be there for all the big moments… and the little ones too. I wish I could be there when you find your happy ending, Regina.”

“Emma…”

“I love you, Regina.”

“I love you, too Em-”

Emma's lips crashed into hers so suddenly that Regina gasped before she returned the kiss fervently. Because it felt like the last time. If felt like this would never happen again. It felt like a goodbye. So Regina tried to hold on to this moment for as long as she could. She tried to commit to memory the feel Emma's lips against hers, the Savior's taste, the way she smelled, the little sounds she made when Regina deepened the kiss. The former Queen tried to burn it all into the well of her mind.

And then she felt something. The connection to her magic; it was there and then it just… wasn't. It was like a void, an emptiness she had only felt a few times before.

When someone put the cuff on her.

The former Queen trying to pull away but Emma followed her, not breaking their connection. Refusing to, in fact.

“Please… Not yet,” Sheriff Idiot murmured against her kiss-swollen lips. “Regina…?”

“Yes?” was her breathy response.

“Don't hate me,” Emma said, placing a folded piece of paper in her hand. “Or at least don't hate me forever.”

“Emma?”

“I'm sorry.”

And then the Savior was gone. Dissipating into a shimmering white cloud. Regina stumbled into it, nearly falling though she caught herself. The Mayor didn't bother to call for Emma. She was gone. Nor did she stupidly try to teleport after her. The cuff would make that particular feat impossible. It would stupid to even try. And Regina didn't have much time.

The sun was setting.

Regina slipped off her stylish yet sensible flats and ran. She hadn't run barefoot in woods since she was a little girl. There wasn't time for nostalgia however. Emma was about to do something — well, something classically Emma. But if she could reach her in time maybe…

Henry couldn't lose another parent. Regina couldn't lose another love. Her heart couldn't bear it.

So she ran. She ran as fast as her feet could carry her. She ran until her legs cramped, and her lungs burned. And then she kept running. Past Gold's cabin, past the playground, past the mansion. Regina could see the dim lights from Main Street in the distance. She was close but she wouldn't make it.

Twilight had set. True darkness would soon overtake Storybrooke. And then she'd be too late.

David's truck skidded to a halt, just in front of her, the door popping open.

“Get in,” he ordered.

And for once, Regina complied without so much as a sarcastic quip. There was just no time.

“Emma,” she began, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.

“I already know…” David told her. “When we read her letter… I just knew.”

“How?” the former Queen asked.

“Because she's my daughter,” he replied, matter of factly. “It's what I would do in her shoes.”

“We have to stop her,” Regina said, resolutely.

“And we will,” David promised as he barreled down the street toward the town square.

“Can you?” Regina asked holding up her wrist.

“Right,” he said, removing the cuff just as they made it to the library.

In a plume of purple smoke, Regina was out of the truck, rushing over to where Henry, Hook, and Snow were standing.

“We couldn't stop her,” the pirate said.

“We tried… but it was too late,” Snow added.

“Mom,” Henry began, reaching for Regina. “You have to do something.”

“I’ve got it,” David said as he tried to rush passed.

“Dad, no!” Emma called, her sword at the ready as Gideon stalked closer. “This is my fight.”

David tried anyway and was flung back by some unseen force.

“You should have listen to your daughter,” Gideon said, drawing his sword, before he turned his attention to Emma. “I am truly sorry, Sheriff. I wish I had a choice.”

“It's ok,” Emma told him. “This isn't you.”

“No… it isn't,” he agreed. “Don't blame my father. He tried to do the right thing in the end. But the Black Fairy’s magic is too powerful. I can't stop this.”

“I know,” the Sheriff said. “It has to end this way.”

“No one's going to save you,” Gideon lamented as he lunged forward.

“No one needs to save me! I'm the Savior! I'm fighting for the people I love,” Emma explained, parrying the blow.

Gideon attacked again and Emma blocked it. “I will not kill you. I won't kill innocents.”

Gold's son was relentless. But Emma was holding her own.

“Then you will die,” he said, finally disarming her.

“Emma, no!” Regina called, trying to break down the barrier with a barrage of fireballs to no avail at first.

Then time slowed to a standstill. The barrier was coming down. Gideon had his sword raised. Everyone was rushing forward. But they wouldn't make it in time. Emma’s sea green eyes found Regina's burnt honey brown ones. And what the former Queen saw surprised her. She expected to see fear, or regret, or sorrow. But all that was there was a look of pure serenity and acceptance.

And then the world went colorless and silent. And Emma was falling. Regina knew people were shouting but she couldn't hear them. All she could see was Emma and Gideon standing over her.

“I forgive me…” he said as he brought the sword down.

“I do…” was Emma's last words before the sword pierced her heart. As soon as Gideon drove the blade home, light poured forth from the Savior's chest, shooting out in all directions until all Regina could see was pure light all around her.

And then she was alone.

“Hey…”

She turned to find the Savior standing there dressed in all white.

“Emma?”

“Yeah, it's really me…”

Regina looked around. “Where are we?”

“It's the space in between,” Emma replied as if that meant something. “Wow… finally I know something you don't know. It's the space in between your last chapter and the next.”

“I don't understand…”

The Savior just smiled. “Man, I always fall for the dumb ones, don't I?” When Regina's eyes narrowed, Emma chuckled. “Sorry, that was solid. Anyway, you know how I'm always trying to save — well, everyone?”

“Yes, I'm aware of that especially vexing trait of yours,” Regina replied.

“Well, congrats, your Majesty. You made the list. It only took 5 years but I finally managed to do it.”

The former Queen frowned. “Do what?”

“I broke the curse and gave everyone their happy endings back. Well, just about everyone. There's only one more person left.”

Regina was about to ask what Emma meant when she heard the rich timber of her evil self.

“Hello, Regina,” the Evil Queen greeted. “Miss me?”

“What's she doing here?” Regina asked.

“She's here to put you back on the right track,” Emma told her. “She's here to make you whole.”

“I don't understand… if I accept the darkness again…”

The Savior cut Regina off before she could continue. “For better or for worse the Darkness is a part of who you are. In order to embrace the future, you have to stop running from your past. Whatever you were before right now, it doesn't matter. I know you, Regina. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. You can live with the darkness and still be happy.”

“And you?”

Emma flashed a soft grin. “This is where I get off. It's the end of my story. But it's a new beginning to yours. All you have to do is open your heart, and never give up on happiness.”

“Oh, is that all?” Regina asked sardonically.

“Yes. And it's harder than it sounds, I know,” Emma replied. “But you can do this, Regina. I know you can.”

“But I'm afraid.”

“Of course you are. It's a scary thing. But I promise, you can do this.”

“What do I have to do?”

The Evil Queen answered. “Simply relax and close your eyes.”

Regina arched an eyebrow but ultimately did as she was told. Nothing happened until she asked how was this going to work. She felt her evil half hit her soul with the force of a freight train. It staggered her and knocked the wind out of her.

“Emma?”

She felt the Savior embrace her. “I'm right here. How do you feel?”

“Whole…” was the only thing Regina could think to say because it was the closest thing to the truth. “It's like I've finally gotten control of my darkness.

“I knew you would. I just needed you to believe it,” the Savior said, kissing her softly. “Oh, and Regina… you're welcome.”

The former Queen was about to ask what she meant but when she opened her eyes, Emma was gone. And Regina was standing in the middle of a dense forest. One that looked foreign but somehow still felt familiar.

“Mom!”

“Henry?” Regina called.

He rushed over to her, tears streaming down his face as he wrapped his arms around her.

“She's gone,” he sobbed. “I just got her back.”

“I know,” was Regina's solemn response. “But in the end she saved us all.”

“Yes… I just wish…”

Regina kissed his temple. “I know. I wish she was here as well. But you have to know, your mother wouldn't have left you if there was another way.”

“It doesn't make this any easier.”

Regina would have said more but Snow, Charming, and Hook called for them.

“We're here!” she shouted.

“Oh, thank goodness,” Snow breathed in relief, holding baby Neal in her arms.

“Emma?” Hook asked.

“She's gone, Killian,” Regina confirmed. “I'm so sorry.”

Snow and David's eyes were watery and red.

“She was the Savior,” Charming said, his voice cracking.

“And she saved us all,” Snow added, sounding just as bad as her true love.

Henry broke away from Regina hugged Killian.

“She loved you,” the young Author said.

“And I her…” Killian told him as they embraced. “I'll never love another woman the way I loved your mum, lad.”

“I know,” Henry assured him.

“Where are we?” David asked.

“We're not in Storybrooke anymore…” Snow said.

“It's the Enchanted Forest…” Regina answered.

“Are you certain?” Killian asked.

And Regina nodded. “Emma must have truly broken the curse.”

“She did?” Snow inquired.

The Mayor — well, the Queen nodded. “Emma said she would break the curse and save everyone's happy endings. It seems like she did it. Storybrooke doesn't exist anymore.”

“So this means…?” Charming began.

“We're home,” Regina replied.

“Where's everyone else?” was Snow’s question.

“Over here, sister,” Grumpy called, standing on a hill above them. “The others are waiting for you all to take us to the castle.”

Snow, and Charming, after Regina assured them she'd see to Killian, followed the dwarf. And the former Queen of Misthaven smiled with tears in her eyes.

“Mom, why I am here? I thought I'm not from this world,” Henry reasoned. “I'm not supposed to be here.”

“Henry, you're the Author,” Regina explained. “Your place is here. Emma knew that. That's why she did what she did. So you could…” She looked pointedly between the pirate and the young Author. “So you both could live the lives you were meant to.”

“Aye… your mum was trying to give you your best chance, lad,” Killian agreed.

“I know… but it doesn't make it better,” Henry said.

“No, it'll never make it better,” Regina said. “Nothing will. But Emma would want you to strong for her.” She kissed his temple again. “I love you, Henry. And so did Emma. She'll always be in your heart. Forever and always.”

“Promise?”

“I promise, Henry.”


	5. Epilogue

The days turned into weeks which in turn transformed into months, and before Regina even noticed, eight years had passed seemingly within a blink of an eye. She kept busy, helping Snow and David rebuild their kingdom. Raising Henry, who had just had his knighting ceremony. And making sure the one handed wonder didn't fall back into old habits. A feat not easily accomplished. Especially in those early years. When Hook was determined to let Emma’s sacrifice be his excuse to wallow. In the end it was Henry, and not Regina that kept the pirate honest. 

> _“My mom believed in you,” he had said. “Don't make a liar out of her… And if you can't do it for her, do it for me. You're the closest thing to a father I have.”_
> 
> _“You mean that?” Hook had given Henry a look, like her son had the power to make or break him with a single word._
> 
> _“Yes. You won't be Neal. But you're still my family. If that's what you want,” had been Henry's reply._
> 
> _Killian had nodded, his eyes watering. “Aye, lad. It's what I want. If you'll always have me.”_
> 
> _Henry flashed a grin that would forever remind Regina of the Savior. “You can't get rid of me now. We have to look out for each other now. It's what Mom would have wanted.”_
> 
> _“Smart lad.”_
> 
> _That was when Regina added, “He takes after his mother.”_
> 
> _“Which one?” Killian jested._
> 
> _Henry shrugged. “Both of them.”_

In time Killian did love again. Though he had been right; he never loved another the way he had loved Emma. Which Regina supposed was how he found two pirates to keep him company. The former Queen could picture him at the helm of the Jolly Roger, the wind in his hair, as he sailed to his next adventure.

Gods help him if he ever had a child; though his new partners didn't seem too hard-pressed to expand their crew anytime soon. Still, Regina could see that twinkle in Hook's eyes every time he saw a young family just starting out. So it was only a matter of time.

The others moved on, restarted their lives. Though they experienced loss. First, the Widow Lucas to old age. Then her sister, Zelena, to a magical sickness. 

> _“My daughter…”_
> 
> _“She'll never want for anything, Zelena.”_
> 
> _“I know. But promise me…”_
> 
> _“Anything.”_
> 
> _“Make sure she knows… she was the one good thing I did.”_
> 
> _“I'll tell her.”_
> 
> _“Thank you…”_
> 
> _“For what?”_
> 
> _“For forgiving me… for letting me be your sister, Regina.”_
> 
> _“You are my sister, Zelena.”_
> 
> _“Thank…”_

She had faded away peacefully, her last words left incomplete. They hadn't been in each other's lives for very long. But it was a loss that hit Regina hard. However, she had a tiny ginger baby to raise now. One who was nearing her 9th birthday and asking for a horse of her own. Because quote “Ponies are for babies.” And she was looking more and more like her mother everyday. Though Regina saw glimpses of her father. Like the little girl's overdeveloped sense of personal honor. That she had gotten from Robin.

In time, Roland came to live with Regina's ever growing family. The young man had come to her the same age Henry was when Emma arrived in Storybooke, well on his, way to be the noble outlaw his father had been. He was seeking a family, and Regina was than happy to accommodate that. Besides, having Roland close dulled the pain Robin's loss had created. Like a part of him lived on in his son and his daughter.

Having Robyn, Roland, and Henry near her helped on the bad days, when she missed Emma so badly it hurt to breathe, to think; on the days it pained Regina just to exist. They kept her busy, they kept her honest. And they filled the void left behind by three lost loves; the stable boy, the outlaw, and the Savior.

Though it seemed as of late Henry and Roland were scheming to find a companion for her.

> _“Mom…”_
> 
> _“For the last time, no Henry, Roland. I mean it. If and when I'm ever ready I won't need your help.”_

Though, as fate would have it, the Robin that the Evil Queen fell for came searching for her one rainy night. With a surprise in his arms. 

> _“Robin?”_
> 
> _“May I come in?”_
> 
> _“Yes, of course. Please.”_
> 
> _“I'm sorry for coming here so late but I didn't know where else to go.”_
> 
> _“No, it's fine. Just come in.”_
> 
> _“I found her in an overturn carriage.”_
> 
> _“Her parents?”_
> 
> _“Orges. She's lucky to be alive.”_
> 
> _“Give her here.” When he obliged, she continued. “Poor thing…”_
> 
> _“She has no one else. And I heard… I heard you take in children.”_
> 
> _Regina sighed. She had already made up her mind. If the little baby girl had no one, then Regina and the others would take her in._
> 
> _“Do you know her name?” she asked and when her dead lover's doppelganger shook his head, Regina studied the baby girl for a moment. The first thing she noticed was the child's wispy blonde waves and then her curious green eyes. And finally that happy little chortle. “In Misthaven there's a tradition of naming a child after a fallen hero.”_
> 
> _“So you have picked out name then?”_
> 
> _Regina nodded. “I do.”_
> 
> _“Well?”_
> 
> _“I'm going to name her after the bravest woman I ever had the privilege of knowing. Emma. Her name is Emma.” Regina looked down and smiled. “Hello little Emma.”_
> 
> _“Thank you. I didn't know what else to do.”_
> 
> _“You did the right thing.”_
> 
> _Robin had laughed at that. “Me doing the right thing… there's a first time for everything, I suppose.”_
> 
> _Regina grinned. “Stranger things have happened.”_
> 
> _“Yes, you're right… Well, I'll be going now that the girl is in good hands.”_
> 
> _“No, stay. At least until the morning.”_

And then of course, once a year on the same day, Regina made a trip to Snow’s castle to pay her respect, tell Emma about the previous year, and read the letter the last Savior wrote just before she passed away.

> _Regina,_
> 
> _I love you. I will always love you. But this is the work that I have to do, this is what being the Savior is. Tell Henry I figured it out. And that I'm okay. And that one day so will he. Give my love to my family. You have to take care of them now. You have to take care of each other. You have to be strong. You can't give up on hope. You can't stop believing in love and happiness. And don't forget Regina, the hardest thing in this world is to live in it. So be brave. And live... for me._
> 
> _\- Emma_

Regina had lived. She'd been brave. And eventually she found love again in the most unlikely of places. With the dark outlaw that had the same face as her soulmate but was hardly anything like him. However, they made it work.

And Regina knew this was what the Savior had wanted for her; friends, family, and lasting love. It was finally all hers. And she was grateful that Emma had put her on the path.

EMMA SWAN  
1982 – 2014  
DEVOTED MOTHER  
BELOVED DAUGHTER  
LOVING WIFE  
SHE WAS A TRUE SAVIOR  
IF LOVE COULD HAVE KEPT YOU ALIVE   
YOU WOULD HAVE LIVED FOREVER

A smile graced her features as she touched the top of the tombstone.

“Thank you, Emma.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry, you guys. This was hella sad. And I don't know where it came from. But here we are. I guess I'm going to the special hell too.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [The Gift [Fanart]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11823069) by [redfield5x5](https://archiveofourown.org/users/redfield5x5/pseuds/redfield5x5)




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